Prolific Ilkeston paedophile jailed for seven years

A prolific paedophile from Ilkeston has been jailed for seven years for downloading 14,000 indecent images of children.

Benjamin Mortley-Green, 36, of Rutland Street was told by Judge Hilary Watson at Derby Crown Court that he had ‘pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes’ when it was discovered he had started offending two weeks after his release from prison for similar offences, and was on a sexual offenders order.

Derby Crown Court

When police searched his home they found images stored on a range of media devices. He also posed as a teenage boy in a online chatroom.

He pleaded guilty to nine counts of making and distributing indecent images.

His defence, Emma Hodgeson, asked the judge to consider imposing a community order, instead of a prison term on the basis that he would have a better chance of rehabilitation.

However Judge Watson said that Mortley-Green was a danger to the public and said the images found were ‘perverted’.

The information from Derbyshire Constabulary indicates that within two weeks of release you were looking at images and chatting on the internet fantasising about abusing children

She said: “The information from Derbyshire Constabulary indicates that within two weeks of release you were looking at images and chatting on the internet fantasising about abusing children.”

Judge Watson said the category A images were ‘very explicit indeed’ and proved Mortley-Green was a risk to the wider public, the internet community and the individuals subject to the photography.

She said he had not co-operated with police and the probation service: “You failed to outline that you were spiralling back into the offending. You were offered every assistance to change your ways to prevent re-offending. You had every opportunity to make the changes but, quite frankly, have thrown them back in the faces of those working with you.

“You posed as a young teenage boy and have used contacts through voluntary activities to be put in touch with young teenage boys, and on one occasion you made video footage of a boy you had been in contact with through swimming.

“You pulled the wool over the eyes of those working with you. It is highly likely in your case that the concealment indicates the length you are prepared to go to in order to re-offend.”

Judge Watson sentenced Mortley-Green to a total of seven years in prison. He is expected to serve two thirds of the sentence before being released on licence.